Published on July 10, 2022 at 11:05 a.m.
Aurélie SACCHELLI
The United States went on to win 22-21 in Chile in the first leg of the 2023 World Cup, and therefore took a big step towards France.
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There are still four tickets to take for the 2023 World Cup and next November, we will know the full table. In the meantime, this month of July will already prove to be decisive. It is thus this Sunday that we will know the name of the second African representative. It will be Namibia or Kenya, who will face each other in the final of the Africa Cup in Aix-en-Provence. The winner will go to Pool A, along with New Zealand, France, Italy and Uruguay and the Namibians, who have participated in the last six editions, will start as favorites, against Kenyans for whom it would be a great first. In the Oceania-Asia zone, the final of the play-off will pit Tonga against Hong Kong in Australia on July 23, after their respective victory over the Cook Islands and South Korea. The Tongans, who have participated in all the World Cups except that of 1991, will also start as huge favorites against the Hong Kongers who have never managed to qualify. The winner will play in Pool B, along with South Africa, Ireland, Scotland and Romania.
The United States wins under the flood
In the American zone, we are also starting to see very clearly, since the United States won the first leg on Saturday against Chile (22-21). In Santiago, in dantesque conditions, in torrential rain and despite a 20-minute power cut in the second half, Dryer, Taufetee and Pifeleti marked the tries of the Americans, who will try to validate their qualification in a week at Denver. The United States have participated in all the World Cups except that of 1995, while for Chile, it would be a great first. The winner will go to Pool D, along with England, Japan, Argentina and Samoa. And the fourth post in all this? It will be awarded next November at the end of a four-team tournament, which will bring together the loser of the three matches mentioned above, and Portugal, who finished third in the Europe zone behind Georgia and Romania, and benefited from the withdrawal of points from Spain, who had fielded an unqualified player. The winner of this tournament will be transferred to Pool C, with Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.
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